stinger flowers are among the most profitable floriculture products , worth $ 333 million in one-year home sale ( NASS , 2023 ) . Cut flower producers include a diverse compounding of large - scurf external operations grow traditional crop such as roses , chrysanthemum , and carnations , and small - scale local operations growing specialty stinger blossom harvest such as genus Ranunculus , dahlia , and lisianthus , among many others .
The floriculture industry has recently image an increase in popularity and sales of these crops , with the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers boast over 2,900 members ( ASCFG , 2024 ) , up from only 500 in 2014 . However , soilborne diseases make by bacterium , fungi , and class Oomycetes can make significant losses , estimate to be 50 - 75 % in crop grown directly in field soil , include ornamentals . Soilborne disease are some of the most persistent , as remainder and pathogen structures result in the territory are unmanageable to destroy and build up over time when there is repeated cropping of susceptible species .
For decade , filth fumigation with compounds such as methyl radical bromide was common in the direction of soilborne pathogen ; however , it contribute to ozone depletion and was internationally phase out in acquire countries in the early 2000s . As chemic fumigant are no longer the go - to option , techniques such as soil steaming and solarisation have returned to grower favor . Unfortunately , a soil soft-shell clam costs upwards of $ 10,000 , a meaning investment , particularly for pocket-sized - scale raiser . Additionally , the depth at which the steam effectively penetrates is not always enough to fully destroy all pathogen material present tense , which makes it an fallible management result .
grime solarization , which uses solar vim to prove grease temperatures , is another proficiency that has been read for use in grass and pathogen management . Although it does not demand the high-pitched cost of acquiring a steamer clam , it needs red-hot , gay day , shit it unsuitable for temperate climatical region such as those bump in the Midwestern and Eastern U.S.
In the early 2000s , a young proficiency , anaerobiotic soil disinfestation ( ASD ) , come out from cogitation in the Netherlands . In ASD , the territory is amended with an easily decomposable carbon paper origin , typically a topically source agricultural by-product , which is tilled into the soil at a depth of 4 - 8 in , then saturated with piss and tarped with an impermeable plastic for 3 - 10 week . During this time , soil germ digest the incorporate carbon source , depleting the soil of atomic number 8 and releasing toxic by-product , include gases , organic acids , and fickle organic compounds . These compound have an antagonistic force on pathogen populations lead to disease inhibition . Although ASD has been largely tested in vegetable production , piddling to no scientific research has been deport in decorative systems .
Research funded by the American Flower Endowment and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers at the Ohio State University is evaluating the suitability of ASD for soilborne disease management in the output of distinctiveness cut flowers in moderate regions .
In the first year of the project , we guide a pilot study in controlled environmental conditions with a fungal and an oomycete pathosystem , Rhizoctonia solani on Zinnia and Phytophthora drechsleri on Gerbera daisy . We evaluate three different agrarian byproducts ( tomato pomace , soya bean repast , and straw bran ) as carbon sources for ASD in both soilless and soil - ground substratum . Our results showed that tomato pomace and wheat bran are suitable carbon germ for ASD and that the proficiency is in effect at controlling Rhizoctonia stem rot in both types of substrate . However , ASD evidence to be more challenging to optimise for the restraint of Phytophthora root rot .
Based on these initial results , natural action in the undertaking ’s 2d year have focused on testing ASD in raised seam outdoor production of speciality cutting off flowers under natural environmental conditions .
Figure 1 . Process of preparing the lift beds for ASD , incubating for 8 workweek in anaerobiotic conditions , transplant Zinnia quid into each plot of ground , and keep disease evolution
An outdoor trial using raised beds was fructify up at Waterman Farms in Columbus , OH . Experiments test the efficacy of ASD in suppressing Rhizoctonia fore rot in two unlike Zinnia cultivars ( ' Zesty Scarlet ' and ' Magellan Cherry ' ) using tomato pomace and wheat berry bran as carbon sources compare to an untreated control , which was not remedy with any carbon source . At the end of the ASD brooding geological period , three - workweek - old Zinnia cud of each cultivar were graft into each plot and rate for disease development up to 6 week post - transplant . Disease rigour was overall higher in ' Zesty Scarlet ' plants compared to ' Magellan Cherry ' , reach 44 % and 25 % disease severity , respectively , in the untreated control plots . Plants in the carbon paper - amended ASD plots had statistically low disease hardship liken to the untreated control . Overall , wheat bran was the best - perform ASD discussion with plants that remained healthy throughout the subject field period . Together with the results obtained in twelvemonth 1 , we can confirm that ASD is a suitable disease management option for Rhizoctonia root word rot management in specialty cutting flower product .
extra experiments are planned in 2024 to continue expanding examination of ASD to more pathosystems , carbon amendment , and incubation temperatures / duration . Our hypothesis is that lower temperature conflate with longer period of anaerobic brooding will lead in meaning disease reduction , making this proficiency appealing for exercise in more temperate climates .
For more informationAmerican Floral EndowmentTel . : +1 ( 703 ) 838-5211www.endowment.org
Frontpage exposure : © T.w . Van Urk | Dreamstime
